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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26250199">Julian's Enterprise Adventures</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Damned_Writers/pseuds/Damned_Writers'>Damned_Writers</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>the long road home [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: The Next Generation</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(what even is gender the heck anyway?), Agender Hugh, Agender Taran'Atar, Augment Rights, Clone Rights, Data's Growing Collection Of Cats, Everyone Has Two Hands And Deserves To Have Them Held, F/F, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Gender-eh Data, Gender-eh Sarina Douglas, Julian Pines For Garak From Afar, Julian misreads everyone's intentions, M/M, Multi, Nurse Ogawa's Kid Is The Real MVP, Other, Picard is dad, Post-ASIT, Post-Canon, Space family, The Federation has biases and Julian's trying to change some of that, Trans Julian Bashir, all of the rights!, discussions about love beyond the romantic, non-Picard lore compliant, non-beta canon compliant (except for ASIT), one great Caitian lesbian, pretty much everyone is ND, xB Rights</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 02:53:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,924</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26250199</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Damned_Writers/pseuds/Damned_Writers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of connected one-shots about Julian's years on the Enterprise, while he's writing articles on medical rights for alternate sentient beings. Takes place shortly after "Something Of Value."</p><p>Misunderstandings, metaphors, holosuites, cringy dinners, archaeology, therapy, dates, babysitting, adopting a cat, burying old grudges and making new friends - everything a growing space family needs.</p><p>Part seven of the long road home: A series exploring the lives of Julian, Kira, and Garak after the end of the Dominion War. The fics can be read as one shots or together.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Data/Geordi La Forge, Hugh | Third of Five/Geordi La Forge, Julian Bashir/Data, Minor or Background Relationship(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>the long road home [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1744279</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. In which Julian is intimidated by Riker who's actually trying to be friendly</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>You don't need to read Something of Value, but I did introduce Julian's reasons for being on the Enterprise and his immediate impressions in that fic, so if you want more specific background on some of what I'm mentioning here, you can find it there.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Year: 2377</p><p>------------------</p><p> </p><p>Riker was… tall. Julian was also tall, but Riker was… <em>very</em> tall. He’d seen him before a fair few years ago when the Enterprise had docked at DS9 and he’d broken into the science lab to conduct a little experiment, but he’d never really methim until he’d begun his commission and suddenly had to face the fact that Riker was a very tall, sturdy man. One might even say <em>capable of</em> <em>looming.”</em></p><p>He hadn’t really noticed when he’d first come onboard - too nervous about meeting the Captain and beginning his counselling sessions with Troi; then busy reacquainting himself with Commander Data and LaForge, then being introduced to doctor Crusher and nurse Ogawa who had been prepped on the research he was doing, then-</p><p>Anyway, no time to meet Commander Riker, the very tall second-in-command who seemed a lot less warm about his presence here than the rest of the bridge crew, and who now loomed over him in sickbay as he sat with a fork halfway to his mouth during a quick lunch break. </p><p>“Uh, can I help you commander?” he said quickly, putting aside his meal and standing, trying to balance out that height a bit and only succeeding in feeling gangly as well as shorter. </p><p>“Yes,” said Riker - his voice was courteous, if short. “I’ve been feeling under the weather recently, I decided to come in for a check up.”</p><p>Julian looked around as if another doctor or a nurse would suddenly appear, but since it was a slow day everyone had gone to ten-forward to have their lunch. He’d offered to stay behind in case any patients appeared and here was a patient. </p><p>“Right, yes, if you’d take a seat-” he said quickly, gesturing. </p><p>A short smirk-like expression passed on Riker’s face before he nodded and sat. Julian quickly got to it, finding comfort in the familiarity of scanning with the tricorder. “What exactly are your symptoms commander?” he asked softly. </p><p>“Just a faint dizziness. Headaches,” said Riker, and then continued before Julian could ask any more questions - “how’re you finding the ship?”</p><p>“The ship?”</p><p>“Yes, your quarters, the crew… I haven’t seen you in ten-forward yet.”</p><p>“I’ve only been the one time, sir,” said Julian, out of his element again and deferring to politeness. </p><p>“Why is that?”</p><p>Politeness was one thing, but he hadn’t prepared an answer for that. The truth was that he remembered coming onboard, finding himself wandering on his own to ten-forward as a kind of rebellion against the original mandate that he be accompanied by a security team wherever he go (now thankfully obsolete), only to be met by furious whispers and stares. He hadn’t returned since then. He bit his tongue. “It was… busy,” he lied, badly.</p><p>That Sloan had ever assumed that he might be section 31 material was still a mystery to him - one he’d probably never solve now that he’d hopefully severed his connection to the organisation. </p><p>Riker frowned, but seemed to let it go. “And your life before the Enterprise,” he continued to Julian’s growing horror. This conversation was beginning to feel more like an interrogation than a polite inquiry. “I’ve been reading up on some of your previous record," he said, “very impressive - even before you were working on - remind me exactly-”</p><p>“- it’s very simple actually, I’m really just looking at the basics of how various engineered groups and species tick to fill a lacuna of medical data and as a piece of a wider argument for extended rights for, well, people like me.” He took a breath and stepped back, having stopped pretending that he was actually looking for anything wrong with him. If Riker was here to test him then he was perfectly ready to be tested. After all that had been his experience for most of his life.</p><p>“Yes. Simple.” Riker smiled, but Julian couldn’t figure out if it was… friendly? Mocking? “As I said, I’ve been reading up on your work - ketracel white, the Quickening, Bajoran flu, your Dominion War record - sounds like you’ve done nothing but pioneer work since you came out of Starfleet Academy.”</p><p>Julian’s mind flashed to holosuite adventures with Miles, evenings at Vic’s... lunches with Garak… and he suppressed them. He wasn't going to rise to the unsaid bait - that he had to prove that he wasn't just a mechanical augment, or that he somehow hadn't earned those victories. That was precisely what his sessions with counsellor Troi had been about challenging. “You’ve got a clean bill, Commander,” he said instead, forcing a semi-jovial tone, “a little stress, I’d recommend a full night’s sleep if you’ve been skimping on them.”</p><p>Riker’s smile widened and he patted him on the shoulder as he stood again. “Thank you doctor,” he said and made to leave. </p><p>As he got to the door he turned once more: “And… consider taking a break from all that work and come to ten-forward sometime.”</p><p>After he’d thankfully disappeared around the corner Julian sat back down, no longer hungry. What had all that been? He couldn’t decipher the meaning of this interaction and asking counsellor Troi seemed like a bad idea. The two were together, it’d probably be some kind of conflict of interest… no, it was fine if Riker didn’t like him. After all, there were plenty others on the Enterprise who didn’t. And if he hadn’t made up his mind before, he now knew for sure that he’d be avoiding ten-forward for the remainder of his commission!</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. in which Julian is invited to a Holodeck Sherlock Holmes Adventure with Data and Geordi</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Geordi wants to make Julian feel at home. The name "Watson" is a euphemism, but not in the way you'd think. Data begins to have a revelation.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Year: 2377</p><p>------------------</p><p> </p><p>It had been Geordi’s idea - invite Julian to one of their Holodeck Mysterious. Julian had talked a few times about the holosuites on DS9 and he’d been spending some of his off-hours running a mysterious program on his own.</p><p>Geordi had suggested it to Data who had immediately considered how best to make it work - “Julian is a highly intelligent man, so being cast as Sherlock Holmes himself could work. However his Watson would be missing, so perhaps in the role of a familiar or a villain or perhaps a client.”</p><p>“Yeah, any of those could work - a Moran maybe? Or an original character?”</p><p>Data seemed pensive suddenly. “Geordi.”</p><p>“Yes, Data?”</p><p>“I find it... <em> distressing </em>that he does not seem to have a Watson,” said Data.</p><p>Geordi frowned. “What do you mean?” </p><p>“Would you say that Chief Engineer O’Brien is his Watson of choice?” </p><p>“I guess so…” said Geordi, still unsure as to what exactly Data was getting at. </p><p>Data shook his head. “No, it is not quite the same.” </p><p>He recognised this as one of Data’s moods where he was clearly struggling to formulate some Organic concept that didn’t come naturally to him, so he patted him on the shoulder and said: “Well, when we find his Watson, we can cast him as Sherlock Holmes, how about that?”</p><p>Data nodded. “That sounds acceptable.”  </p><p> </p><p>The mystery went well apart from the holodeck program’s Mycroft becoming incredibly enamoured with their doctor Tareq Khalaf (as they had called Julian’s familiar character, who was helping them solve a particularly thorny, medical-based case). Julian had done the research prior to their beginning the game, which hadn’t included this facet. He side-eyed Mycroft’s somewhat… eccentric advances. </p><p>“Does he always undress for breakfast?” he asked Dat- Sherlock.</p><p>“Yes, he undresses whenever he is at home. He says it ‘puts him at ease.’”</p><p>Tareq nodded and shared a look with Watson. “And the uh… direct proposition for tension release?”</p><p>Watson shrugged. “I’ve heard that sex is a reliable form of that.”</p><p>Tareq dropped character for a moment, mumbling under his breath: “And I thought <em> Quark’s </em>programs were risque.”</p><p>“What was that doctor?” called Mycroft jovially from his breakfast chair.</p><p>“I’m sure once our case has been completed the doctor would welcome a dinner,” said Sherlock, oblivious to what was actually going on.</p><p>Watson and Tareq shared another look. For a world-class detective there were certain concepts that flew right past him. Tareq shrugged and turned back to Mycroft. “I’m sure dinner would be an amenable proposal to begin with,” he said. </p><p>“Excellent,” exclaimed Sherlock before anyone else could respond. “Onwards with the chase, gentlemen!”</p><p> </p><p>All in all a very agreeable experience for Julian Bashir Data thought after they had divested their costumes and returned to work, the doctor to sickbay, himself and Geordi in the familiar thrum of engineering - next time though, perhaps a more difficult one. This time had been about familiarising Julian with the various characters, but he’d said he was looking forward to a challenge in future. If only they had a suitable Watson then Data and Geordi could take on Moriarty and Moran and provide <em> all </em>of them with said challenge… Data would have to keep an eye out for any partners for him.</p><p>He would write in more of Mycroft as well - he and the character of Tareq had seemed to get on well and personally he appreciated being able to the art of sarcastic back-and-forth that the inclusion of Sherlock’s brother afforded him. </p><p>He was musing when Geordi came over and nudged him. “You okay?”</p><p>“Hm, yes. I was thinking that Julian is a very interesting man.” </p><p>“That’s true. He liked the program today...” </p><p>Data turned when he noticed that Geordi was still looking at him in slight concern. </p><p>“I was merely continuing my train of thought from earlier that it would be a good idea to find him a potential Watson.”</p><p>“Ah. Yes,” said Geordi, trailing off again. “Data,” he continued suddenly. “Have you considered… that one person can have multiple… Watsons.”</p><p>Data frowned slightly. “I do not understand.”</p><p>“I mean that you and Julian have been getting very close and that if you ever wanted him to be the Watson to your Holmes I wouldn’t mind.”</p><p>Data’s confusion was further expressed by him cocking his head to the side. “But you’re my Watson.”</p><p>“Ye-es,” said Geordi, trying to choose his words carefully. “What I mean is that whatever kind of-” he moved his hands in tangible search of the right word, “- <em> relationship </em>you and Julian end up in, I’m not going to be jealous.”</p><p>“Ahh,” said Data, understanding. “You mean that you and I have never discussed the specifics of our relationship, because we were not expecting a third potential partner to appear. You do realise that the - bond - between us is something that I do not wish to replicate with anyone else. You <em> are </em>my Watson. However I believe that I am beginning to come to an understanding that the nature of relationships are not divided strictly into Watsons and not-Watsons. I also believe that this analogy may be getting out of hand,” he added, seriously.</p><p>Geordi laughed, something unexpectedly tight inside him releasing. It hadn’t been the idea that Data might want to do things with Julian that didn’t involve him, he only ever wanted what was best for him. It had simply been a… fear… that he might try to replicate exactly what they had. That maybe he’d been replaceable all this time. “You know what, Data, you’re a smarter man than I am,” he said and squeezed his arm. He was never going to doubt him again.  </p><p>“I am programmed with the ability to store more information than most organic beings, this is true. I believe though, that in certain matters you will always be more knowledgeable than myself.”</p><p>He placed his hand over Geordi’s, holding it softly in place, both satisfied now with each other’s company and the prospect of further Sherlock Holmes Adventures with the good doctor Tareq Khalaf.</p>
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